Living alone 'increases depression risk'

People who live on their own are much more likely to have depression than those who share their home with another person, a study has found.

Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied 3,500 men and women for seven years and obtained information on antidepressant use from the national prescription register.

They found that people of working age who lived on their own had an increased risk of developing depression.

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Overall, the risk of antidepressant use was almost 80 per cent higher for those living alone than for those living with other people.

The biggest contributing factors for women were socio-demographic factors, such as poor education and a low income, while the main factors for men included lack of workplace support and alcohol intake.

Dr Laura Pulkki-Raback, whose findings are published in the journal BMC Public Health, revealed: 'Overall there was no difference in the increased risk of depression by living alone for either men or women.'

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She also noted that the study did not consider the incidence of depression among people who were not using antidepressants.

Beth Murphy, a spokeswoman for mental health charity Mind, told the BBC that people who live on their own have 'fewer outlets' to talk about their feelings.

'It is therefore essential that people who live alone are given the most appropriate treatment such as talking therapies, which provide safe supportive environments to discuss and work through problems, rather than simply being left to rely solely on antidepressants,' she argued.

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